Thief's Brother
by Marina Kashu
Summary: Ryou and Bakura are brothers that have been recently enslaved. Malik is a member of an important family, but feels bad for Ryou and helps him out. Bad summary, but ran outta space. WARNING: YAOI, VIOLENCE. Also, implied lemons & rape.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! Once again I'm starting a new fic, but this time it's a prequel to A Moonlit Walk.

Anyways, this is set in Ancient Egypt, it is YAOI! Don't like, don't read. You have been warned. Pairings will be Ryou/Malik and Bakura/Yami. Also, mature themes are present. NO lemons, I don't write those, but mature themes all the same.

Disclaimer: I know I don't own, you know I don't own, the lawyers know that I don't own, why do we waste space and time with this? Besides, I don't have enough money to make suing me worthwhile. So go away, lawyers! (waves large stick at crowd of attorneys)

Chapter One

A young boy ran through the street, dodging those few who were shopping at such an early hour. His white hair made him an easy target for the palace guards who were chasing him, and he knew that he would have to stay ahead of them if he wanted to stay safe. "And to keep Ryou safe…" He muttered under his breath.

He suddenly turned into a dark alley. This part of the city he knew well, but to someone unfamiliar with it, it was a maze of winding tunnels, alleys, and tiny crawlspaces. With any luck, he could lose the guards here. Luck had been short recently, however.

He turned another corner, and another, until he eventually reached the place him and his brother called home. The younger boy glanced up at him, smiling.

"Hey, 'Kura. Back a little later than usual?"

"Ryou. Need-to leave…" Bakura was out of breath, having sprinted over a mile to try to escape.

The younger boy was immediately on his feet, but he insisted that his older brother at least drink some water before they left. "Running will do us no good if you collapse partway through." And, as little as Bakura liked to admit it, the boy was right. Though they needed to hurry, collapsing would be very bad. For both of them.

Suddenly, a noise in the alley behind them caused both boys to turn around. "The guards….'Bakura muttered. He immediately got up and began to sprint again, even though he was still worn out. Ryou, picking up slightly on what was going on, followed him as quickly as possible.

However, the palace sentries were closer than they had seemed. With Bakura low on energy, and Ryou not being a fast runner in the first place, the pair was caught with little difficulty.

Later

The two boys had been dragged through the streets to a gigantic building, which could only be the palace. Bakura had passed out along the way, probably from sheer exhaustion, and Ryou felt alone in this gigantic building. However, they were both simply thrown into a small room. The young teen had been sure that they would be punished for something, most likely something that Bakura had done while trying to provide for them both.

Ryou wandered around the tiny area, noticing that there were two doors branching off of this one. Each led to a room, each room almost identical to the other. Neither held any windows and both had only the door that the pale-haired boy had used to enter. One held two beds, and the other was…completely empty. But then why was it there? It had a door, unlike the other room, and that door locked from the outside…

Bakura groaned as he rolled over. The younger boy immediately ran over to his older brother. "'Kura! Thank goodness…."

"Wh-where are we?"

"A really big building…I think it may be the palace. Kura, what's going on?"

At that, the older male sat up quickly. "The PALACE? Oh gods……" This reaction was the worst he could have possibly given. To Ryou, Bakura's calling to the gods for help showed just how afraid he was, and his older brother didn't scare easily. Why did his brother dislike the gods so much? Well, maybe it had something to do with the fact that they had lost both of their parents, in addition to everything they had ever known, within the past few years. That could explain quite a bit….

Suddenly the door opened, and a man walked in. Bakura immediately stood fully, right in front of Ryou. The teen sensed that this was for a reason, and didn't argue.

"Which one of you is the thief Bakura?" the man asked. Bakura stepped forward, his eyes full of frozen fire. The man reached out to grab his arm, but he pulled the limb back again.

"I can walk on my own."

The two men promptly engaged in a contest of glares, icy fire meeting calm anger. Bakura's frozen glare won quickly-there were few who could stand up to its ferocity. The stranger led the way out of the small room, Bakura following close behind.

As he watched them walk away, Ryou couldn't help but feel terror knowing at his heart. He was alone now, in a strange building of stone and plaster, so unlike the narrow alleys and dirty huts that he had grown up in. Fear was clawing at his heart, and it was starting to hurt.

He fell to his knees, beginning to sob. Fear and panic had taken hold of his heart, and refused to release it. Ryou pulled himself into a ball in the center of the room, not noticing that the door was still open. His sobs escalated, becoming louder and more ferocious until they wracked his entire body.

"Hey," a voice suddenly asked from the hallway. "What's wrong?"

Ryou looked up quickly. The man standing there had long blonde hair and violet eyes, strange features in Egypt. Then again, his weren't exactly normal. White hair was rarer than blonde.

"I…I'm fine." The boy replied. "Excuse me, but..who are you?"

"Oh, sorry. My name's Malik. Malik Ishtar."

The pale boy froze. That name…Ishtar….he'd heard it before. Then it came to him. Isis Ishtar, the high priestess of Tefnut. 1

Ok, that was rather short for me, but oh well. I'm out of ideas and that seems like a good ending point. Hehehe….

1 Tefnut was the goddess of the morning dew, which was one of only a few sources of water. I have no clue what god or goddess Isis was really priestess for, or even if they used the real gods, but whatever.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter: aren't we all so wonderfully happy? I must warn people, I have way overscheduled recently and when I'm busy I get depressed, and my writing reflects that. Much negativity can be expected, meaning probably violence, angst, fear, etc. I'm beginning to hate March….

Disclaimer: I don't own. I never claimed to. GET OVER IT!

Warning: Hasn't changed. Violence, yaoi, randomness, etc. Don't like, don't read. Also, Bakura will be slightly OOC here, since this is, by the way, pre-tomb-robber time. Didn't mention that before. It's also kind of an AU, since there is no Kuru Eruna and no massacre. Otherwise, it's the same.

Review responses!

Hikari Flame: well, that's informative. Hehehe…sounds like a compliment to me! Glad you like it.

Chapter 2

"Relax," Malik said. "What happened?"

Ryou still couldn't moveor speak. He did manage to look down, aware that slaves were not supposed to look at those who were free.

He felt a strong hand pull his chin up, forcing him to look into a pair of stunningly violet eyes. "You can look at me; I'm not going to hurt you." The voice was calm, but almost pleading. Ryou actually found himself relaxing and calming down slightly in Malik's presence, although it was completely irrational to do so.

When the younger boy had calmed down enough to be slightly rational, Malik asked again, "What happened?"

"…" Ryou still was having trouble speaking, and on top of that, he had no idea where to start.

'All right….' Malik thought. "Why don't you start with your name?"

"I-I'm Ryou." Malik could still hear a slight tremor in the slave boy's voice. He couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Nice to meet you, Ryou. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Malik had never been all that great at comforting people, but he still felt like he had to try something. It looked like the boyRyou, he reminded himselfhad no one else to turn to. And he definitely needed help.

Ryou still refused to willingly look at the older boy. "I-It's…complicated."

"Just start at the beginning."

"A-all right." Ryou told Malik his story, starting where Bakura had run into their home and told him they needed to leave, and ending where the stranger had taken Bakura to the Pharaoh. By the time he finished, the older blonde was definitely feeling sorry for him. It wasn't hard to see why the boy was so upset...and terrified. His life had just been turned upside down and he had no clue what was going on. In addition, his parents were probably dead, considering he had apparently been raised by his older brother. So he'd probably been very close to that brother…to have him dragged away like that would have had to be terrifying. He wrapped his arms around Ryou in what he hoped was a comforting way, and was unsurprised when the boy leaned into him, sobbing vehemently.

They just sat like that for a while, maybe for half an hour. At that point, little by little, Ryou began to calm down. His sobs slowed and finally ceased, though he still quivered slightly. Malik relaxed his grip slightly, not wanting to suffocate the boy.

"You ready to get up now?" he asked the pale haired boy. When Ryou nodded slightly, he released him completely and pulled him to his feet.

The younger boy still refused to look up at him, but he did whisper, "Thank you. For…for listening." He acted as though he had never expected that from anyone.

"No problem." Although it was a rather common reply, it was the only one that Malik could think of at the moment.

As he walked out the door, he looked back. Although Ryou was no longer in a state of panicked fear, it was obvious from the way he stared out of the barred window that he was still not exactly happy, or fully reassured as to his situation.

00000(divider thingy since dashes no longer show up)000000

Bakura was dragged into a small room with no windows and a solid wooden door, unusual in a desert land with few trees. He was thrown to the ground, left there unceremoniously by the guard who had brought him. As he slowly stood, he heard the door slam shut and a latch lock into place, leaving him in complete darkness.

He wasn't sure how long he was locked in; it was hard to measure time without any light at all, and clocks hadn't been invented yet. But it was definitely long enough for him to get bored, and to come up with all sorts of reasons that he was locked in a pitch-black room. Most of them more than slightly gruesome and sadistic. He really needed to stop thinking…

Suddenly he heard the latch click open, and a thin beam of light shone into the room. It looked like torchlight, had that flickering quality that distinguished fire from any other light, so it was probably nighttime by now.

A man entered the room. Bakura thought he looked vaguely familiar….and with hair like that, it would be hard to mistake him for anyone else. He had a number of giant bangs with gold lightning-shaped streaks lining them, and blonde bangs in the same shape. Yes, definitely unmistakable, and definitely familiar. But from where…

Bakura's blood suddenly froze. He had just remembered where he had sent the man before. In a procession through the city…a ROYAL procession…

Pharaoh.

The man, who Bakura had correctly identified as the pharaoh, was indeed holding a torch. He walked over to the wall and lit another torch that hadn't been visible in the dark before crossing to the other side of the room and putting the first torch into a holder on the wall. Then he walked over to the door and closed it, barring the only escape route Bakura had.

In the now well-lit room, Bakura saw that there was quite a bit of stuff here, most of it looking as though it could cause quite a bit of pain. In fact, the room was bigger than he thought it had been, considering he hadn't tried to explore in the dark. He wasn't _that_ good at navigation, and he didn't want to end up running into a wall or something because he didn't know his way around.

The pharaoh walked towards the pale teenager. The smile on his face as he inspected the boy grew into a full-out smirk, frighteningly dangerous looking…

A strange emotion began to well up in Bakura. Not one he was at all familiar with. In fact, he hadn't felt it since that night when their mother died, the night when they were left alone. It was fear.

The teen slid slowly away from the approaching man. He was trembling slightly, but not noticeably. However, although the room was larger than a closet, the space wasn't limitless. Eventually, Bakura slid straight into a wall, and Pharaoh still came nearer. And nearer….and nearer…Bakura shivered as a pair of hands seized him and pulled their faces close together, but stared defiantly into the slightly older boy's crimson eyes all the same. For as long as he could at least. No one could match that gaze for long.

Especially not with that smirk. It looked…evil, forbidding, sinister. In other words, terrifying to most, and even one such as Bakura, who had lived on the streets for almost half his life and had seen too much of the bad side of human nature, would have had to be completely mindless not to feel a flicker of fear at the coldness in their depths.

Bakura writhed frantically, trying to escape from the deceptively powerful grip. Pharaoh wasn't about to release him, though. In fact, his smirk simply grew at the teen's struggles.

"Don't make me use the chains…" This was the first thing either of them had said. The pharaoh's voice was deep and…amused, almost, although Bakura couldn't imagine why. Looking around, though., he saw that there were chains attached to the walls., huge iron manacles that were too high off the ground for him. If the pharaoh decided to use them…he'd be dangling at least a foot above the ground. Not an especially good idea. Needless to say, he quit struggling.

Bakura was pressed back against the wall, pinned to the cold bricks by a pair of strong hands. He had no way of escaping anymore, a frightening thing for a young thief. All in all, the situation looked bad. And it got worse quickly, as he felt a pair of lips slam roughly into his. He had no way to flee…

"You're mine," a soft voice whispered. "Mine…"

All right, there's chapter 2. Also shorter than my average, but oh well. No more ideas here. Hope you all enjoy it, read and review please!


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back!

Anyways, umm…I have noticed that this story tends to have short chapters overall. I don't know why that is, but it is. Maybe they'll get longer later, maybe not. But for now, I'm actually still kind of introducing stuff, so this chapter will be about the same length as the last two. I have no clue how long later chapters will be. I have avbout three more chapters planned out in my mind, but my mind doesn't have a page counter.

Well. Review responses. YAY! REVIEWS! THREE OF THEM! Usually I get only 2 per chapter. ARIGATO!

Hikari Flame: Glad you likes it! Yes, updates are good. But writers block is not…and I seem to get that more frequently than updates. Darn it….

Misaki: Nice to hear from someone new! Heehee…yaoi is good. Didn't realize it was a cliffie, actually. That wasn't on purpose. Yeah, I read lemons but have no ability to write them. Limes is kissing, right? Yes, there will be those. Soon, methinks. Within a chapter or two.

Molly ( ): hi again! You can tell? Really? Well, I'm surprised you can. Or maybe YOU will be surprised…remember, I do not write lemons. Beyond implied, that is. Heehee…if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, which knowing you, you probably are, you're wrong. The last comment didn't seem to fit the story line I had in mind. This doesn't even mention Bakura…

Warning: Yaoi, Violence (maybe not in this chapter, but oh well. In the story.) a bit of an AU (as said last chapter) hmm…lets see….anything that's been said before that I may have missed.

Disclaimer.: YES! I FINALLY OWN YUGIOH! AND I'M ALSO THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND! All right, I need to see some kind of psychiatrist. Or maybe not…being weird (and possibly insane) is fun. Oh, anyone who fell for that (the first sentence that is) needs to learn the meaning of the word sarcasm.

Chapter 3a number of weeks later

Malik and Ryou had spent a lot of time together in the past few weeks, the older teen wanting to help the younger adjust to his new life. They had actually grown very close, and were definitely friends, despite their differences in status. Perhaps more than friends, in Malik's case…something about the younger boy had intrigued him from the day they met. He had never felt protective for anyone before, not to this degree….

The pair had spent much of the day together, just having fun. Though Ryou was a slave and therefore supposed to work, he could always say that Malik had told him to come and that he had to obey. It worked out well.

Ryou was walking back to the room he and Bakura shared when he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. The small teen was spun around suddenly to face the man standing behind him. The large, heavyset man pushed Ryou's back against a wall, forcing him to stay still and effectively preventing escape at the same time.

"Well…" a dark, hoarse voice whispered near his ear, "What have we got here?" Ryou grew even more panicked at the voice, struggling uselessly against the man's powerful grip. He only smiled sadistically before beginning to drag the teen away.

"Don't worry, sweet…" he muttered. "We'll have lots of fun back home…in bed…" He chuckled cruelly. At this, Ryou's eyes grew even wider in terror and panic, and he resisted even more frantically than before, but to no avail.

"What is going on here?" a familiar voice sounded behind them. Ryou glanced over his shoulder, still striving to escape from his captor. Malik stood in the doorway, looking noble and aloof. Obviously, he was more important than the other man. Although the older teen's expression showed only slight annoyance, Ryou knew him well enough to be able to tell how worried Malik really was. "Can't I even send a slave on an errand without having to worry about his being delayed?" A blatent lie, as Ryou didn't really belong to anyone in particular, but was more of a palace servant. But this man didn't know that.

The man who had seized Ryou turned around as Malik spoke, obviously ready to make a snappy comment. However, when he saw who it was, he changed his mind rapidly, saying instead, "Your slave? I had no idea, sir! Please forgive me"

"Just get out of here." Malik replied. The man obeyed immediately. As he did so, he let go of Ryou, who fell to the ground.

Malik was immediately at his young friend's side, holding him close to his chest as he knelt beside him. "Ryou, thank goodness…" he murmured into the younger boy's pure silvery hair. Ryou pulled himself closer to the older boy, violent sobs wracking his small frame. "Come on, Ryou." Malik whispered once the younger teen had calmed down at least a little bit. "Let's get you home." But Ryou's door didn't have a lock, Malik knew that. And so it wasn't really all that safe there. So he brought the younger boy to his own apartments.

The next day, Ryou woke in an unfamiliar room. "Whawhere am I?" He looked around to see a well-lit bedroom with many windows and a lot of expensive furniture. He was alone.

Malik walked in. Seeing that the younger boy was awake, he walked over to the bed. "Hey, sleepyhead. You all right?"

"I…I think so." Ryou replied. "Malik…"

"Hn?" The older boy went and sat down next to his friend (or more than friend…but we won't go there quite yet!)

"Ththank you. For…yesterday…"

Malik pulled the younger boy close to him. "It's nothing. I'm just glad I got there in time." They sat like that for a while, just sitting. Malik didn't release his grip on the pale teen, and Ryou did nothing to try to make him do so.

Eventually Ryou raised his head and looked into the eyes of the older boy. "Malik?"

"Yeah?" The older boy's response was slightly muffled, as he was half-asleep by now, but he gained alertness quickly.

"I…I…" It was harder to say those three words than Ryou had thought it would be. And now Malik was looking at him, too, on top of that.

"What is it?" the older teen asked. His only response was Ryou burying his head in Malik's chest. The older teen brought his hand to the chin of the younger one, raising Ryou's eyes to his once again. "Ryou, you can tell me. It's all right."

Ryou took a deep breath, but no words came out. As telling Malik how he felt obviously wasn't working, he simply raised his lips until they gently touched those of the older teen. He was expecting to be pushed away, or somehow rejected, or something. However, he wasn't expecting Malik to return the kiss.

He was pulled into Malik's arms, their kiss becoming more passionate every second. Eventually, they pulled apart slowly, neither wishing to leave the other. Ryou looked into the older teen's lilac eyes, smiling happily as he was pulled into a tight hug.

Ok, I'm out of ideas for this chapter, so I'm just going to end it there. Actually pairing them up is hard! Therefore, I have a rather choppy chapter. Sorry about that. Finally got them together, though.

Well, please read and review! Reviews inspire me, if I get them I tend to write faster. If you've bothered to read this far, take a few seconds to tell me so please!

By the way, it's taking out all of my boundaries between scene changes, so if the scene changes and it sounds different, it probably is.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm back again. Aren't you all glad to see me?

That better have been a yes.

Anyways, I'm still writing for this as much as possible. I want to finish it so I can work on Moonlit Walk, but I'm still only about halfway through. I expect about 6 chapters, maybe 7 or 8 max. So there we go. About halfway through. Oh, and sorry about delays, I was just in Colorado for a week over break and had absolutely no access to computers.

You know, recently a friend of mine, who often reads my stuff, recently commented that I have a way of taking completely disjointed (was that the right word? It was something like that--meant disconnected, seemingly separate) situations and making them flow together. I think that's why I have so much trouble; my imagination comes up with such random situations that it's really hard to make them flow together. Therefore I get stuck a lot. Therefore, I write slower. Funny how that works.

Disclaimer: I've said it three times already. Hasn't it sunk in? If I owned any anime, there would be many more shirtless guys wandering around, in addition to much more romance. There isn't nearly enough romantic anime these days. And, most good animes aren't on until late at night…it stinks. Wait. This isn't as much a disclaimer as a complaint now--I'll shut up.

Warning: Also hasn't changed. Yaoi, limes, violence, etc. I've said it 3 times now! Does it really take that long to sink in?

Review responses now. I'm still amazed every single time I get a review.

Hikari Flame: Hi again! Still enjoying it, huh? Well, someone's happy…

Kura( ): only the first chapter so far? Darn…well, that part was supposed to stir up pity, so I guess it worked!

Mana-the-Authoress: ummmm…..have you guys had too much sugar or something? Well, I do like cookies and cake. I'm from America, how can I be the queen? Oh well. The world confuses me, adding one more thing to the list isn't really all that bad, I guess. Thanks for reviewing!

Demidemocratik( ): Hi again! Glad you still like it. I think I'm being ordered to continue….well, you reminded me to work on it. That is good. I kept forgetting….

Ryou smiled as he snuggled into his lover's chest. (1) He felt so safe here…there was no one who would wish to harm him, and Malik really did care about him. He could tell.

He leaned his head on the older teen's shoulder. They didn't even speak, because there was no need to. Just being together was enough.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door. Ryou quickly stood and bowed his head, looking exactly like any slave in the presence of his master. Malik stood as well, looking annoyed, and went to answer the door.

His sister, Isis, stood in the hallway. "I am not interrupting anything, am I?" She asked, and both boys relaxed at the sound of her voice. Isis knew about their relationship and had long ago accepted Ryou as an adoptive brother. They could act normally around her. Marik was a different story. The middle sibling of the three was considered psychotic and dangerous by many. Malik had known from the start that telling him about Ryou would only put the younger boy in danger, and Isis's immediate agreement with that decision had convinced Ryou to stay as far away from Malik's older brother as possible.

"Hey sis. Not really, come on in." Malik went over and sat down again, pulling Ryou into his lap. The younger teen giggled as his lover wrapped a pair of strong arms around him. When everyone was comfortable, the older of the boys asked, "So what's up?"

Isis looked at her brother wearily. In fact, he hadn't seen her look so tired since she had been forced to arrange for the funerals of both of their parents. Both had been killed in the same minute, trying to protect their children from the attack of a shadow monster escaped from his master. Marik had still been harmed--many attributed his current insanity to that attack. Even having his sister seem so tired convinced Malik that something was very wrong. "Isis, what is it? Something's up."

The black-haired priestess sat quietly for another minute before answering. "I was using the Tauk again."

Now the boys began to get curious. Isis never used the Tauk without a reason, it wore her out too much. So what was going on? They asked her, but her answer was vague. "Something's wrong. Before you ask, I don't know what. The vision was uncharacteristically vague. But…this is worse than most visions I have gotten ever were. And…it concerned our family somehow."

At this, the room was silent. 'Danger…' Malik thought. 'Oh gods, what's going on?' But it was obvious that Isis had no answer to that question.

"As I have no more to say," The Priestess said, "I will take my leave." And, with that, she walked out the door and headed towards her own apartments, obviously for some much-needed rest.

Once she was gone, Malik lifted the younger boy's chin so that their eyes met. "We get interrupted a lot, don't we?" His lover responded by leaning his head into the older boy's chest, which he took as a yes. He stood, pulling Ryou up with him. "Come on. I want to show you something." Looking interested, the younger teen followed him out the door.

They wound through the palace, going too fast for Ryou to remember the route very well. All he remembered afterwards was turning many identical-seeming corners. Eventually, though, they arrived at the outskirts of the palace, where there were less people rushing around.

Malik led them into another hallway, which seemed identical to all the others. The only difference was that, unlike all the other areas they had been in so far, this hall was empty.

"Where are we?" Ryou murmured. He'd never seen this place before, he was sure of it. But then, there was a lot of the palace that he'd never seen. It was a gigantic building.

Malik didn't answer. He was staring at the wall on the left side, which was seemingly blank. There was nothing there. "Malik?" Ryou asked, "What are you doing?"

"You'll see." With that, the older of the boys returned to studying the bricks. Suddenly he brightened up, as if he'd finally found what he was looking for. Ryou still saw nothing except the blank wall. However, he heard Malik muttering something under his breath. He still wasn't prepared when the older teen suddenly seized his wrist dragging him towards the solid bricks.

Or were they solid? Ryou saw the bricks looming in front of them, creamy tan in color and looking like solid rock…and then they were past them, standing on a beaten dirt path. Ryou was leaning on Malik's shoulder, supported by his lover's arm. Looking behind them, he saw a small dark doorway in the creamy brick wall. Turning around, he was greeted by the sight of a magnificent garden, beyond imagination in both size and beauty. "Where are we?" He whispered.

They were in a huge courtyard filled with flowers and trees of every variety. There were paths winding throughout the square, and many of them were lined with low walls. The area they could see from where they stood was at least 100 square yards, and it looked as though that wasn't the whole thing. There was the noise of a fountain, but there wasn't one in sight.

In short, it was a paradise. An empty one. Why wasn't anyone here? It was the most beautiful place Ryou had ever seen; he couldn't imagine why anyone wouldn't come here as often as possible.

"I come here whenever I can," Malik said, looking around. "It's so peaceful."

"Malik?" Ryou asked shyly. "Why isn't there anyone else here?"

The older Egyptian grinned. "They can't find it." Seeing that his lover was even more confused now, he explained further. "This place is hidden. Isis found it when we were just little kids, we used to come here to play. Then she became a priestess, and she ran out of time to visit, so I came alone. Anyways, shadow magic covers the entire area. No one can find the door without either already knowing where it is or being shown by someone else who knows. The magic is also what keeps the plants alive and healthy, since gardeners don't know this place exists."

"How did she find it, if it was so well veiled?"

Malik answered, "The veil wore thin at one point, when I was just a year or two old. Apparently, the magic's old and wore out or something like that. Isis repaired it somehow, I'm not really sure how, since she didn't have the Tauk yet…" he trailed off as he sank into thought.

Ryou snapped him out of it by reaching up to tap him on the cheek. "Don't think too much, you'll hurt yourself."

"HEY!" With that, Malik began to mercilessly tickle his lover. Eventually, they wore each other out playing around and collapsed against one of the low walls.

Ryou leaned against the older Egyptian's shoulder. "Malik?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For bringing me here." In response, the older boy wrapped his arms around Ryou. He lifted his chin and kissed him. Neither pulled away until they both needed air desperately.

"How could I not?" Malik whispered. "This place wouldn't be complete without you."

And I think I'll leave it there. Since that seems like a good place to stop and all. Tell me what you think!

Oh, I got the idea for a secret room from a fic. The story was Frozen Fire Makes No Water by Siiarrei. Anyways, it wasn't exactly the same, that story was set in modern day and the way into the room was through a tunnel in a pool, but it did give me the idea for a secret room. Yes, I did get permission from the author. Thank you, Siiarrei!

(1) Yes, I do mean "lover" literally. As I said before, I do not write lemons. Therefore, this is my way of…implying certain activities. Isn't word choice a wonderful thing?


	5. Chapter 5

Hi again everyone. I have updated! I CAN ACCESS MY STORIES AND INTERNET AT THE SAME TIME! What a relief…I have been unable to update for the past 2 weeks or so because of it. Turns out that AOL was malfunctioning somehow…I don't really understand it. Computers are not my area of expertise.

I noticed that I probably would never start another chapter if I didn't get at least one review. Usually, when I open the document to start typing, it's to put in the first review response, not because I really have a great idea and am desperate to type. So thank you everyone! Without all of you, this story may not have gone beyond the first chapter. Maybe none of my stories would have. Arigato!

Demonfer: Hi again! Glad you still like it. Very glad. Interesting--I don't think I've ever heard of Bjork. I'll see if I can find the song. What's it called? Don't worry, I'll update as soon as I finish typing…(clacking keys sound) DON'T HURT ME!

Fear of Falling: Too much sugar…an affliction many seem to suffer from. Or maybe that's just me. Are you sure about the kill you part? I'd rather just keep what reviewers I have, no matter how often they change their pen name. So do I have to? Oh, and…maybe this is a stupid question, but since I'm really out of it these days (I blame spring fever), what was your pen name before? Ehehe…I feel kinda stupid asking that, since you probably mentioned it somewhere.

Bakuraxryou: Sorry, I can't write lemons to save my life! Seriously. Besides, I don't want to get kicked off of I like it here. Umm…will be getting back to Bakura and Yami this chapter, actually. But this story focuses mainly on Malik and Ryou, with the other pair in the background. The sequel will mention them more. (That's Moonlit Walk, people. I started typing this when I realized that one needed a prequel to make sense. I will be continuing that when this is just about done, which should only be another few chapters. Like….2 chapters after this I think. Maybe just one. Probably two though.)

Disclaimer: Tired of typing this. Please see last four chapters, as I have no more ideas for fun disclaimers. GO AWAY, LAWYERS! WE KNOW WE DON'T OWN IT! YOU DON'T NEED TO RUB IT IN!

Ok, now that that's out of my system…I proudly present chapter 5!

Oh yeah, and I finally remembered to ask Muse what to call her. Go read her stories. She writes as PharaohYami'sGuardianCat. So, I'll call her that. Whoa…long name, Muse. Anyways, go read her stuff, people. I recommend it. Why would I ask her for ideas if I didn't? It wouldn't make sense. Ignore that I rarely make sense and just take my advice this time.

My muse helps me often, so yes, I am supporting her. (Or advertising, if that's what you want to call it, but unlike most advertisements, I speak the truth. Hehehe…)

Chapter 5

In a darkened room, a man sat in a richly adorned golden chair with a high back. The only light in the room came from a small window placed right below the high ceiling. Another man, slim and supple, knelt before him. "My pharaoh," a deep voice whispered. "I have news."

"Well?"

"The buy has been bought--more like adopted--by the High Priestess Isis's youngest brother. He is well treated and happy with his position." There were a few moments of silence before the ruler replied.

"Very well. You may go."

()()() scene change ()()()

It was a while past noon, and the sky was growing darker. However, it wasn't really all that late yet--just enough that Ra's rays shone over the wall and into the garden where two boys sat together. One leaned on the older teen's shoulder, with an arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders.

Slowly, Malik jostled Ryou awake. The younger Egyptian had actually fallen asleep there. Malik stood, stretching his arms as he did so.

"Ryou? I have to go, Isis is gonna wonder what happened to me. Come back when you're ready. If you're not home by dark, I'll come looking for you. Okay?" The younger teen nodded sleepily, smiling at his lover. "Good. See you soon, sweetheart." Malik returned the smile before planting a kiss on Ryou's fore head and walking away.

At that point, Ryou was so relaxed that he just went back to sleep, leaning against the short stone wall. Admittedly, it wasn't as comfortable as Malik's shoulder, but whatever worked…

When the young boy awoke, Ra was sinking behind the top of the high boundary wall. Ryou jumped up quickly. He hadn't realized he'd been asleep so long! Soon it would be dark, and he had very little time to walk back home. He hurried out of the garden, running as quickly as he could. The sun set quickly in this land.

Halfway back, the young teen had to stop to catch his breath. Maybe running wasn't fastest after all….

Suddenly he heard footsteps. He glanced up--and froze. The man who had just rounded the corner had spiky, tri-colored hair that he had only ever seen on one person. _Pharaoh_…but there was no procession, no warning…

The man suddenly noticed Ryou looking straight at him. He walked over to the young boy. "What have we here?" he whispered. "A little slave…the image of…heh." He grabbed the teen's arm and began to drag him away. At that point, Ryou found he was able to move again. He struggled all he could, but to no avail. However, he was able to slow them down. And Yami was getting annoyed. Suddenly, Ryou felt a hit on the head and fell into darkness.

When Ryou woke up, his only clue that he was still alive was his blinding headache. Not that he needed to be blinded; the room he was in was pitch black, it was impossible to see anything.

He had no clue how long he'd been sitting there in the dark. There was no way of measuring time in the pitch black, after all. 'Malik's probably worried,' he thought. 'Maybe he should be….I don't know where I am, there's no way for me to go home, and…oh gods, what's going on?'

Just then, a small beam of light slid into the room. Looking around in the dim light, Ryou could see an entrance, underneath which the bit of light came. Someone must have lit a torch in the other room or something. Listening silently, he heard faint voices coming from through the solid wooden door. One of the voices sounded…familiar…as if he knew its owner very well…

Suddenly it hit him. 'Bakura!' Ryou strained to hear what was being said, but the sounds were muffled by the thick door, and the voices were quiet anyways. All the teen could make out were a few words, such as "…No! Don't…why…quiet…" It sounded like random gibberish without the rest of the sentences.

All of a sudden the voices stopped. Ryou heard footsteps coming towards him, and shrank back into the corner. The door suddenly swung open, letting a flood of light flood into the room. The young teen threw up his arm to cover his eyes, but was still temporarily blinded by the brightness.

He felt someone grab his arm in a strong grip and begin to drag him. He still couldn't see well, and couldn't tell which way they were going. He closed his eyes to keep them from being damaged by the light.

Through his eyelids, he could see that it suddenly got a lot brighter. He guessed that they had entered the room that the light had come through before.

He heard his brother gasp, then shout, "Leave him alone!" At that point, whoever was dragging him dropped him unceremoniously to the stone floor. Footsteps echoed throughout the room, but they were going away from the young teen.

Another voice whispered, "And why would I do that?" The pale slave didn't recognize this voice, but his vision was beginning to clear. Shapes began to appear in the light, including something that looked vaguely like hair, but shaped like spiky triangles…unusual. That shape looked familiar…like he had seen it not long ago…then he remembered who had kidnapped him.

'Oh no….' he thought. 'Not him, please gods, not him…' But why would the gods listen to a mere slave? Especially when doing so would work against the Pharaoh, the god on Earth…it was hopeless. He was in real trouble now…'I hope Malik is looking for me.' The older teen may be his only chance by now.

His vision fully cleared by now, the pale slave looked around the room he was in. The room had no windows and was lit by a torch. The door he had come through looked almost the same color as the wall in the flickering firelight. It would have been almost invisible if he hadn't known it was there. There was another door, made of thick wood, against the opposite wall. There were no windows in the room, which explained why it had been so dark before. One of the remaining walls was empty. The final side of the room was where Bakura and the Pharaoh stood. With a start, Ryou realized that his brother was chained to the sand-colored stones that made up the wall.

The young teen began to listen to the…well, conversation wasn't the best term…of the other two. Bakura was still yelling, while the young ruler stood nearby smirking. The pale thief was getting more frantic by the minute…Ryou could tell that something would happen soon if he wasn't stopped.

Just then a knock rang out on the door that led to the outside. The pharaoh sighed, looking disappointed, but walked over to answer it anyways. Apparently, no one interrupted him here unless it was important.

This was important, apparently. A man stood outside the door, hidden from the view of the pale teens. "Sir, we have a problem." He said. "The High Priest requires your immediate presence. He said it was urgent."

The young ruler's expression soured. "Very well. If it is urgent, I suppose I should go." He walked off rapidly, obviously hoping to be done with this quickly.

Ryou immediately stood and ran over to his brother. Luckily, the pharaoh had left the torch behind, so he could see. "Bakura, are you all right?"

"Fine. Get out of here, before he gets back."

"No." He certainly wasn't leaving his brother behind, not when he was obviously in such a bad situation.

"Why not, dammit? It's not safe here!"

"I know."

"Ryou. Listen to me." The younger teen looked up at his older brother. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Get out of here before he gets back, go find somewhere safe."

"No." Seeing his brother's growing frustration, he explained. "Bakura…I don't want anything to happen to you either. I'll leave, but not until you come with me."

"If only one of us disappear., he may let it go. If I'm gone too, he'll definitely look for us both. Think about it! It's safer for you to leave now."

"I have somewhere to go. He can't find either of us there." Hopefully Malik wouldn't mind Bakura knowing about the garden. He couldn't think of any other solution at this point.

The older teen looked at him oddly, then sighed. "You do realize I'm stuck here, right?"

"You can pick locks." The younger brother knew his niisama well enough to realize that his question was really a form of agreement.

"I need tools. I don't have any."

"Pieces of metal, right?" The younger of the brothers grinned. "Have you noticed the bits of it lying around in the corners?"

Bakura looked up suddenly. "Are you serious?" His younger brother nodded. "I had no reason to look around, I was stuck here anyways…."

In a few minutes the older boy was free, and both of them set off for the door. Opening it slightly, Bakura glanced through the crack. A guard stood outside the door. "Damn…" he muttered. Unfortunately, that was enough for the guard to hear.

"I know you're there, you know." At this, both boys froze. It would be very bad to get caught now…they were in trouble.

At least, they thought they were, until the man continued. "Listen…I'm tired of hearing screams coming from that room. Every fifteen minutes or so I'm supposed to patrol the nearby halls. I'll just go a little early." The two teens exchanged looks of amazement before nodding thankfully.

As the kindhearted guard rounded the corner, the pair slipped through the doorway and ran down the hallway rapidly. "I'd say we've got maybe five minutes before he has to notice that we disappeared." Bakura whispered.

"Then come on! We'll have to hurry." Ryou answered, before pulling the older boy towards the older section of the palace. The garden wasn't that close, they'd have to hurry to get there within five minutes.

And I think I'll leave it there, since I am way overdue for an update. By the way, don't expect much over the summer; I'm gone for a third of it. Yea…Japan in June, Mexico in July, and camp in August. Talk about traveling. I feel lucky.

Also, I know I said there were no other doors in the chamber Bakura was in. I changed my mind. I need a closet or some other small dark area going off of it. SO I'm going to say that this door was really hard to see. I do realize my descriptions of the room contradict each other; the one in this chapter is right.

So….Review! Press the pretty purple button….(Grins like a maniac)…And maybe I'll be nice next chapter! Otherwise I will make it full of pain, because that's easier. I'm still trying to decide if I should do one or two more chapters here…ideas for the sequel are building up. In case anyone has missed past mentions of sequel (which is unlikely, considering how many times I've said this), that's called Moonlit Walk. Go read it when this is done.

Oh, and 2 questions for reviewers. First of all, how do you think this will end? I don't want to become too predictable, after all. Muse, you can't answer that one, I think I already told you. Second question: I will either be doing 2 more chapters--one short and happy and one medium length but evil--or one chapter--long, starting out happy but ending up evil. The same things will happen either way, it's just a question of whether I make them one chapter or two. Please tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

I'm back again. This is either the last chapter or the second to last chapter, I haven't decided which yet.

Disclaimer: By this far into a story, I'd hope you'd seen it! Anyways….I've been lying to you all for the past five chapters! I really do own Yugioh! I bought it on eBay for five dollars! Maybe if I say it, someone will believe me. Heh…I need to stop kidding myself. By the way, all gullible lawyers, if I really did own Yugioh, it wouldn't be shown on Cartoon Network and Kids WB. Do I need to say more?

Fear of Falling: Hi again! Hehe…yes, that would be it. I had no clue you'd changed it. Yes, I will definitely tell you. Don't worry--it'll probably be hard to shut me up. :-D I will be updating as soon as I can, but by the time I post this, that message will be kind of…outdated. Hmm. Oh well. Very glad you still like it!

Molly ( ): Yes, I know no complaining. I write as long as I can! Then I feel like I either have to post or wait another too long…which doesn't make much sense now that I see it written down. Oh well.

Ashiki: Haha. Yes, I did make Yami evil. Well, I needed an evil, powerful guy who wouldn't mind--too much--if a priestess was mad at him. And since Marik would mind and Bakura isn't really all that bad here--he's not even a tomb robber yet--I had to have someone else. The Pharaoh was an obvious choice. To me at least….

So far, I have two votes for two chapters. And none for one chapter. Ah well--maybe more people will vote before I post this. And I'm going against the votes anyways--prepare for one long chapter. I'm serious, it's like 7 pages! That's twoover normal for me. Be proud, all of you!

And here we go!

Chapter 6

The two boys ran panting into the garden, having gotten there as fast as they possibly could. Ryou immediately sat down on one of the low walls, completely exhausted and suddenly aware of the perils they had barely escaped. Meanwhile, Bakura was looking around in wonder.

"I've never seen so much green…." He whispered. In the desert, green plants were rare, and those that did exist were only the fields along the Nile's banks. Of course, the farmers never let them anywhere near those fields, Bakura being a known troublemaker as a child.

The older boy turned to his brother. "How did you find out about this place? The door was invisible from the outside. And how do you know that the Pharaoh doesn't know about it too? Are you sure we're safe?"

Ryou laughed before pulling the older teen over to one of the low walls. "One question at a time, 'Kura!" He said, still giggling softly. "I'll explain that soon, the pharaoh has no clue this place exists, and yes, I'm positive we're safe."

There was a pause, but it was a comfortable silence. The pair sat quietly, looking around and enjoying just being alive.

Then Bakura spoke. "Have you been all right? Safe?"

The pale buy smiled as he answered his older brother. "I'm fine, 'Kura. Don't worry."

"Well, what's been going on? I've been trapped in a little dark room, I haven't had any news of what's happening. Tell me."

So Ryou told him about Malik, and Isis, and his life, and reassured the older teen that he was fine and safe. He told him about how Malik had shown him the garden and how much the Egyptian cared about him. By the time he had gotten most of the way through the story, it was past noon, and they had escaped before dawn.

Suddenly the pair heard footsteps. Turning around, Ryou suddenly leapt up, running towards the figure who had entered. "Malik!"

"Ryou!" Malik said, running towards the young teen and pulling him close. "Thank the gods you're safe…you didn't get back and I couldn't find you, I was so worried…" Still holding his lover close, he looked up. "And you are Bakura? Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"Really?" The older teen stood, walking over to the pair cautiously. "And how did you know it was me?"

"It wasn't hard." Malik answered. "First of all, Ryou told me what you looked like, so I could recognize you. And second of all, there are rumors all over the palace about your escape. Apparently, a guard was making his rounds, and when he got back, you were gone." By this point, the blonde was smiling, and his tone of voice clearly showed that he was sure there had been more to it than that, but wasn't going to ask.

Bakura smiled as well, which Ryou knew was his way of approving of Malik and probably also expressing thanks for taking care of his younger brother. Soon, all three were smiling and laughing.

Slowly, the conversation died and a calm silence fell over the small group. Malik pulled Ryou into his lap, burying his nose in the boy's pale hair. The young teen snuggled into his chest, obviously exhausted, and fell asleep almost immediately. Malik pulled the limp frame closer to him, smiling gently.

Suddenly Bakura spoke. "Hey. I just wanted to say…umm…thanks."

Malik looked over at the older man. "For what? It's not like I've really done anything for you."

"You took care of my little brother. Kept him safe from people who would have hurt him. Ryou's all I have left; as long as I know he's all right, I'll be able to handle whatever happens."

Malik sat quietly for a moment before answering quietly, "There's nothing I wouldn't do to keep him safe."

"I guessed." Bakura replied, staring out across the garden. He looked over at the blonde. "From what Ryou's told me, and what I've seen, you really care about him. That's what I'm thanking you for, really."

Malik nodded in understanding, and looked around. Suddenly he gasped. "Look at the sun! It's getting pretty late; my sister will be worried unless we get back soon. Listen, will you be all right here at night? It's safer than trying to sneak you back home., and…"

"I'll be fine," the pale-haired man answered. "Go ahead."

The blonde stood slowly, holding Ryou close to his chest. The young teen stirred, but didn't wake. Malik smiled gently at the young teen, then walk out quietly. Bakura relaxed and, watching as the stars appeared, eventually fell asleep.

As Malik walked towards home, he sighed and looked up at the sky. Stars had appeared, and the moon was just beginning to rise over the horizon. He shivered slightly and began to walk faster. Nights were cold in the Egyptian desert.

Suddenly he halted. A row of palace guards was standing in front of him. Looking back, they had surrounded him from the back as well. "What do you want?" he demanded.

"Hand over the slave and we will leave in peace." Was the answer.

The blonde teen was confused and angry now. "And why would I give you my property for no reason?" Of course Ryou was more than that to him, but the guards couldn't know that…

"Pharaoh's orders." Malik frowned. The pharaoh's orders…if he resisted, they could use force to carry out their orders. And that would obviously put Ryou in danger. But doing as they said would be no better…in fact, it would probably be worse.

'Damn it…' He thought. Out loud, he said, "And if I refuse?"

The answer was what he had expected. "Then we will be required to use our authority as enforcers of his word."

In other words, they'd use violence to get Malik to do what they wanted. One against over a dozen was NOT good odds….especially when he was holding Ryou, who hadn't woken up.

Well, he certainly wasn't going to hand over his lover…so it looked like he had to hope things worked out in his favor.

As he stood there, the guards finally realized that their threats weren't working. They charged at the teens, pulling their swords. Which Malik hadn't known they had. 'Oh great,' he thought. 'That brings the odds to about a million to one…'

He leaped aside as a sword clashed down beside him. The sudden noise of metal hitting the stone path woke Ryou, and as the young boy looked around, he buried his face into Malik's chest in fear.

"Shh, Ryou, it's all right," he murmured. Even though things probably wouldn't be all right. Suddenly his lover was yanked away from him. Ryou screamed as he was pulled away from his master, but couldn't resist.

"Ryou!" Suddenly Malik was almost a blur, kicking and punching at everyone around him. He felt a sword bite into his side, but it wasn't serious. 'I have to get to Ryou…'

Time seemed blurred, minutes seeming like barely a second as a scream of pain suddenly rang out. The guards backed away slowly, and the leader grinned as he motioned for the group to leave. Soon Malik was standing alone.

'Ryou….where's Ryou?' Frantically, the blonde looked around. They couldn't have taken him…they couldn't have…suddenly he caught sight of a limp figure lying on the ground.

"Ryou!" He yelled, running over to the unconscious boy. Picking him up, he cradled his lover in his arms. "Ryou, please, wake up…"

Slowly the young teen opened his eyes. "Malik…" he whispered with a small smile. "You're here…" With that his eyes fell closed again. Malik pulled the boy close. He had to be all right, he had to…he noticed a warm, sticky liquid running down his hand. Looking closer, he saw it was blood. But he hadn't been injured badly…

Then he realized…it wasn't his blood. Ryou had a huge gash across his back, and he was losing blood quickly. Looking him over, Malik noticed multiple, slightly smaller wounds. The boy couldn't survive if he kept losing blood at this rate…

Malik quickly stood, still holding his lover close to his chest. He broke into a run as he headed towards his sister's chambers. If anyone could help Ryou, it would be her…

He burst into Isis' bedroom, causing his sister to stand quickly, knocking over the chair she had been sitting on. Before he had the chance to say anything, she rushed over to him, taking Ryou into her arms. "Sit down," she told him. "You look exhausted." A gentle look came over her face. "You've done all you can for him."

The blonde teen nodded, collapsing onto a nearby stool. "Can you heal him?"

"I'm not sure yet. I need a chance to check him over." Isis could tell just by looking at the boy that the gods had decided the time for his death had arrived, but as long as there was even the possibility that Ryou may survive, her brother needed to hear that there at least may be hope.

Her brother nodded as he looked down at the unconscious slave. "Ryou…" he whispered. Isis watched sadly. She knew how much her brother cared for the dying boy; what would he do when he learned there was nothing she could do? She tore herself from those thoughts as she leaned over to examine Ryou's wounds more closely.

A few minutes later she stood. Immediately Malik looked at her anxiously. "Can you help him? Will he be all right?"

For a few moments, the priestess stood quietly, looking at the floor. Then she whispered, "There is nothing I can do."

Malik stared at her, his sister's words sinking in slowly. "No," he whispered. "No, you're joking…you must be…no…" Overcome by sorrow, he leaned over to his unconscious lover. "Ryou, no!"

Watching her brother cry, Isis almost broke into sobs as well. Malik had been too young to understand what was going on when their parents had died, but she was not. She knew what it was to lose someone you cared for. Gently she wrapped her arms around the blonde teen. "I'm sorry."

It was two days after the attack had occurred. Malik had sunk into a state of deep depression as the slave he loved had faded into death, and nothing could lift his spirits now. Often he would go to the garden and talk to Bakura, but even the thief could do nothing.

During one such visit, Bakura noticed that the blonde Egyptian was getting thinner. Unhealthily thinner. "Malik, what's up? You're losing weight."

"Yeah. I know."

Bakura glanced at the teen. "Aren't you eating? Hey…Malik, listen to me. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Don't worry."

Bakura was quiet for a minute. Then he said quietly, "If this has to do with Ryou, then I can tell you right now that he'd want you to get over it and live. He cared about you; he wouldn't want you to act like this!" Sighing, the man added, "Ryou cared about you. He would want you to live and be happy, not starve yourself to death."

The blonde teen looked up at him. "Maybe you're right. But would he have wanted me to live a life I didn't want?" Seeing Bakura's confused look, he continued, "Ryou is-was-my life. What else do I have? Isis, yeah, but she's so busy that I don't really ever get to see her for more than five minutes or so. Marik's an insane maniac, he cares for no one and no one really cares about him except to fear him. Before I met Ryou, I'd never known what it was to be alone, because I'd never known anything else. It doesn't hurt when it's all you have. But now I know another life, and I can't go back. I can't live alone anymore, and there's no one else who…I don't know, who knows me like that. I AM alone. And I can't live like that. So…there's only one other choice."

Bakura looked down before nodding in understanding. Then he looked directly into Malik's eyes. "I know what you're saying. It was hard enough when all I had left was my little brother. But…I still think you're making the wrong choice."

The teen smiled weakly. "There is no other choice for me now." Suddenly, he leaned over, as if he couldn't balance.

Bakura grabbed his arm, saying, "Malik, hey, what's wrong? MALIK!" As he spoke, the teen collapsed, unconscious. "Malik, wake up. This isn't funny!" He shook the blonde Egyptian, trying to bring him back to consciousness.

Suddenly Isis ran into the garden. Seeing her brother unconscious, she immediately rushed over to try to help. "Bakura, what happened?"

The pale-haired man frowned. "He just suddenly collap—wait, how do you know me?"

Isis reached to her neck and fingered the Tauk. "There is very little of importance that this doesn't show me," she answered. Seeing Bakura looking confused again, she added, "It allows me to see into the future at times, the past other times, and sometimes the present."

Bakura whistled. "Powerful magic."

Isis nodded, but said, "Now is not the time to compare magics. Have you noticed anything wrong with him recently?"

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "You mean besides that it looks like he's starving to death? Nope, nothing."

Isis collapsed onto one of the low walls. Resting her head in her hands, she whispered, "You're right. And I didn't even realize, because I'm never around…I'm the one who's supposed to be taking care of him, and I couldn't even notice that he was losing weight…" She began to sob. "I don't think I can do anything either."

Standing again and leaning down next to her brother, she felt his chest. "His heart isn't beating…" The priestess appeared to be in a state of shock. "He's gone."

Bakura stood suddenly. An angry, insane look appeared on his face. "This is all the Pharaoh's fault," he yelled. "If he hadn't gotten involved, him and his guards, Ryou would be here, Malik would be alive, everything would be all right! But he had to go kidnap Ryou, and then have him killed when we escaped, he had to go ruin our lives!" Continuing, the pale man said, "And what happened? Because of him, two more innocents are dead! They never did anything, why are they the ones who had to pay?"

Isis whispered, "The innocents are always the first to suffer. That is how this world has always worked, although we may wish otherwise."

Glancing at the woman, Bakura yelled, "It wouldn't work that way if people didn't make it work that way! In the end it's still all his fault, and I swear upon every god and everyone who has been killed, I will make him pay for it!" With that, he stormed out, not even looking back.

Watching him leave, Isis whispered, "Only darkness will come of this." Suddenly, a bright light appeared before her. Staring in wonder, she heard a voice.

"Greetings, my Priestess." Startled, the woman realized that this must be the goddess she served. "Do not fear me, Isis," the voice continued. "Yes, I am Tefnut. Do not fear; all will work out in the end. Things are going according to a larger plan, one even I cannot understand just yet. This plan will be played out over the next five thousand years, but the two spirits who have been taken from this earth too early will be reunited." The voice began to fade with the light, both disappearing slowly. The last words of the goddess echoed in the Egyptian woman's head. "All will be right in the end."

And here the story ends! (Dodges rotten tomatoes) DON'T KILL ME PLEASE! First go read the sequel, which is started, if you haven't read it already. THEN you can kill me, if you still want to. ….which I'm hoping you don't…PLEASE DON'T!

FIVE DAYS UNTIL JAPAN AND COUNTING! Hehe…I'm just a little excited…could you tell?

WRITIG BAKURA SENTIMENTAL IS REALLY HARD! So that last part probably seems really OOC and all that stuff—I apologize for that.


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